New Hampshire Legal Assistance

Helping to balance the scales of justice for everyone since 1971.

Domestic Violence Legal Help

Domestic Violence Legal Help

The Domestic Violence Advocacy Project represents victims in emergency protective order hearings and in divorce and parenting (custody) cases. The issues typically addressed in these cases are the following: restraining orders and emergency relief, parental rights and responsibilities (child custody and visitation), paternity, child support, alimony and property division.

Learn More >>

Public Benefits

Public Benefits

Benefits Project advocates help individuals obtain the assistance they need to stabilize their income and move toward self-sufficiency as possible. Advocates help the disabled obtain Social Security, SSI, and APTD benefits and access to health care through Medicare and Medicaid. The Project also works for improvements in the APTD/Medicaid system.

Learn More >>

Housing Legal Services

Housing Legal Services

NHLA focuses its efforts on a variety of housing issues with its Housing Justice Project.

Housing Justice Project (HJP) attorneys and paralegals promote equal access to housing for NHLA clients by working on preserving their housing. The HJP helps individuals and families who are either currently without shelter or are at imminent risk of becoming homeless. The HJP also investigates complaints of discrimination and assists people who are victims of housing discrimination.

Learn More >>

Special Projects

Special Projects

NHLA responds to the emerging needs of clients with new projects and efforts, often in collaboration with other organizations in the state.  Some of these include programs concerning Childrens Dental Health, as well as the Youth Law Project, which works with children and teenagers who are facing delinquency or CHINS petitions.

Learn More >>

Legal Services for Older Adults

Legal Services for Older Adults

The Senior Law Project (SLP) assists our state’s most economically and socially needy seniors with civil legal problems including consumer protection/debt collection, health care, public and private housing, family problems, food stamps, public assistance benefits, utility shut-off, and nursing facility and assisted living/residential care facilities problems.


Learn More >>

Our Mission

PLEASE NOTE: 

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, New Hampshire Legal Assistance is OPEN. Masks are required in NHLA's offices. If you do not have a mask, we will give one to you. If you are feeling sick, please do not come to our offices. We can talk with you by telephone or video meeting instead. To apply for legal assistance, please visit www.603legalaid.org or call 603-224-3333

To fax documents to any NHLA office: 1-833-722-0271

NHLA was awarded the 2022 Nonprofit Impact Award from the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits. Check out NHLA Executive Director, Sarah Mattson Dustin's, acceptance speech in the video below.



New Hampshire Legal Assistance is a nonprofit law firm working to make justice a reality for and with people who experience economic hardship that threatens their basic human needs. Through representation and systemic advocacy, NHLA offers civil legal aid that addresses the effects and root causes of poverty.

We offer our clients high-quality civil legal aid to address the legal problems that affect their daily survival and most basic needs. These services range from simple legal information and advice to vigorous and thorough representation in all of New Hampshire's courts and before many of the local, state and federal agencies which play large roles in their lives. In providing legal services to the poor, NHLA helps ensure the legal system provides the fairness and justice that all New Hampshire residents deserve. 

NHLA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity, in the delivery of services.

Apply For Legal Help

A note about this website: Clicking on the red "ESCAPE" button that appears next to our logo at the top of every page will give you a quick escape from the website. Computer use can be monitored and may be impossible to completely clear. If you are afraid your use of the internet or the computer may be monitored, use a secure computer, call a local domestic violence hotline, and/or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224.

NHLA priority issues

Legal aid at the doctor's office might help low-income patients

How local welfare should work: One client's story as told by her NHLA advocate

NHLA protects low-income tenants from the dangers of lead paint

NHLA, Pro Bono expand program to help low-income debtors

Do You Need Health Insurance?


Our Offices

Berlin
Claremont
Concord
Manchester
Portsmouth
Administration

Testimonial

Treated with respect...

Treated with respect...

I was treated with respect and importantly everyone genuinely listened to what I had to say. That is rare now a days. 

United Way Corporate Fund New Hampshire Bar Foundation New Hampshire Bar Foundation

Latest News

NHLA Receives $738,000 NH Bar Foundation IOLTA Grant

Posted May 25, 2023

New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) was recently awarded $738,000 from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s IOLTA Grants Program to provide civil legal aid to people with low income. With support from the IOLTA Grants Program, NHLA advocates will be able to help more clients stay safe from domesti ...read more

Attorney Michael Merra Joins NHLA Housing Justice Project

Posted May 25, 2023

NHLA recently welcomed Michael Merra as a staff attorney based in Manchester for the Housing Justice Project.
Mike brings more than 30 years of civil litigation experience in the New Hampshire court system. He has been the lead attorney in complex business litigation cases in the NH Superior Co ...read more

NHLA Statement on HB 49 Regarding the Sununu Youth Services Center

Posted Mar 23, 2023

Statement from Michelle Wangerin, Youth Law Project Director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance New Hampshire has a long history of institutionalizing kids when their needs could be appropriately supported through a robust array of community-based services. Senate Bill 94 (2021) prioritized fro ...read more

NHLA Welcomes New Staff Attorneys for 2023

Posted Feb 17, 2023

There are some new faces at New Hampshire Legal Assistance in 2023. Our team is thrilled to welcome attorneys Jonathan Teller-Elsberg and Elyssa Willadsen to our dedicated staff. Jonathan will be representing NHLA at our medical legal partnership with Dartmouth Health and TLC Family Resource Center ...read more

NHLA Statement on Governor Sununu's 2023 Budget

Posted Feb 14, 2023

Statement from Sarah Mattson Dustin, Executive Director of New Hampshire Legal Assistance The Governor’s budget, released today, includes $2,250,000 per year in civil legal aid funding for New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA). NHLA provides civil legal aid related to our clients’ most basic ne ...read more